Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Commons^™

Complement System In Multiple Sclerosis: Its Role In Disease Course And Potential As A Therapeutic Target, Michael R. Linzey

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a clinically heterogeneous neurological condition characterized by neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Relapsing-remitting MS, defined by inflammatory attacks, is the most common initial form of MS and there are currently 23 FDA-approved treatments for these patients. These therapies work primarily by reducing inflammation in the CNS; they do not work well in progressive disease. Therefore, an unmet medical need exists for effective therapeutic options to treat progressive MS (PMS).

In MS, intrathecal immunoglobulins synthesis (IIgS) correlates with disease progression. My goals for this dissertation were to establish the pathological role of IIgS and identify new potential therapeutic …

Molecular Mechanism(S) Of Zika Virus Infection And Associated Neuropathogenesis, Chet Raj Ojha

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, is known to induce various neurodevelopmental disorders including microcephaly and growth retardation in newborns from infected mothers. However, the exact mechanism of ZIKV-associated neurodevelopmental disorders is still unknown. The study was aimed at identifying the molecular mechanism(s) of ZIKV infection using in-vitro and in vivo methods. Using three isolated strains of ZIKV (MR766, R103451, and PRVABC59), we show that the Asian strains of ZIKV are more infective and toxic to glial cells and neurons compared to the African strain. Infection by PRVABC59 induces markedly higher release of inflammatory molecules; IP10, RANTES, IL-6, and IFN-β. …

The Role Of Syndecan-1 And Extracellular Vesicles In Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis, Megan R. Sayyad

Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer metastasizes to the brain in 15-30% of all breast cancer cases, and metastasis is the predominant cause of breast cancer-related deaths. Patients with HER2-enriched and triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are more likely to develop brain metastases. While targeted therapies exist for HER2-enriched breast cancers, there are no effective treatments for TNBCs. Thus, a greater understanding of how these cancers spread to the brain is critical. In order to spread to the brain, disseminated breast cancer cells must overcome 2 major steps—crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and survival and successful colonization of the distinctive and mostly cellular brain environment. …